Tuesday, October 28, 2008

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reacting to thousands of complaints across the country by consumers about credit repair companies. As a result, the FTC (along with 24 state agencies in 22 states) launched Operation Clean Sweep.

The FTC is charging 33 companies with violating the FTC Act and the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA). The FTC states that these companies made false claims they could remove accurate information from their credit reports. The agency also alleged that the defendants violated the CROA by charging an advance fee for credit repair services.

Here is the list of 33 companies that are being charged with violating the CROA.

How can you avoid turning credit repair into credit despair? Here are a few suggestions from the FTC:

Avoid any company that wants you to pay for credit repair services before they provide any services. It is against the law.

Avoid any credit repair company that will not tell you your legal rights and what you can do, yourself, for free.

Avoid any credit repair company that tells you not to contact a credit reporting company directly.

Avoid any credit repair company that advises you to dispute all of the information in your credit report.

Avoid any company that suggests creating a 'new' credit identity - and then, a new credit report - by applying for an Employer Identification Number to use instead of your Social Security number. That is against the law.

If you follow illegal advice and commit fraud, you also may be subject to prosecution.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Many credit repair services make it sound as if all you have to do is pay them and your credit report will be fixed. However this is not true, below is a criteria you should use when choosing a service.

Do Not Pay Large Fees

Many services will charge large upfront fees. Instead look for more standard rates such as $179 for a start up fee and then a monthly fee of $100 or less. Some services will charge per action, I do not suggest this as your fees can add up quickly to more than $100 / month.

Also you should avoid a company that says you must make a large upfront payment, these companies are typically not effective services and are looking to make a quick buck at your expense.

Look For Refunds Not Guarantees

Credit repair can not be guaranteed, esspecially upfront. This is similar to a defense attorney guaranteeing that you will be found innocent of a criminal charge - IT CAN NOT BE DONE

I strongly suggest you avoid any service that make a guarantee, instead look for a refund policy or warranty. Many good services will offer a refund if their service is ineffective or you are not satisfied.

Friday, October 24, 2008

How to Order Credit Reports:

If you have been denied credit, goods, benefits, services or employment within the last 60 days, are unemployed seeking employment, have a fraud alert, or on public assistance, you can obtain a copy of your credit profile by contacting the credit reporting agencies directly by phone.

The telephone number for Equifax is (800) 685-1111.The telephone number for Experian is (888) 397-3742.The telephone number for Trans Union is (800) 916-8800.

When you dial these numbers, you will be prompted to enter your social security number and other personal idenifiers. If the system accepts your request based upon the above exemptions, you will receive the respective credit profile within three to five business days.

Alternately - and if you are denied under the above exemptions - you can go online to http://www.AnnualCreditReport.com and order your credit report. This request is a truly free credit report if you have not obtained a copy throgh the central source within the last 365 days.

Either way, please be sure to order all three credit reports each and every time you wish to review your file. Although most creditors report to all three credit reporting agencies, some local or regional creditors and collection agencies may report to only one or two. Ordering all three credit reports will allow a true and accurate review of the history reported at Equifax, Experian and Trans Union.

Credit Restoration Associates is a credit service organization specializing in the restoration of consumer credit worthiness and identity theft. We assist consumers in achieving a favorable financial credit profile. Everything we do is legal utilizing laws enacted by Congress to dispute negative, erroneous, obsolete, and/or fraudulent information contained within your consumer credit profile.

Utilizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, Credit Restoration Associates will assist a consumer in the submission of disputes electronically, verbally and in writing to the Equifax, Experian and Trans Union consumer reporting agencies in addtion to creditors, collection agencies and third-party record providers. Keep in mind that anything we do, you can do yourself. Where Credit Restoration Associates has the edge is the fact we possess the knowledge and a proven method which yields results.

Unlike most credit service organizations that submit the same written dispute letters monthly, Credit Restoration Associates has devised a strategy whereby disputes are submitted verbally, electronically and in writing over a six month period to credit reporting agencies, creditors, collectors, and third-party record providers reporting negative, inaccurate and/or erroneous information. Utilizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, in addition to laws applicable to a particular state, Credit Restoration Associates has obtained thousands of deletions and updates for its clients. Credit Restoration Consultants can help remove erroneous and/or inaccurate judgments, liens, bankruptcies, student loans, inquiries, derogatory tradelines, personal identifiers and more! The credit restoration process can take anywhere from 30 days to six months. Most clients see dramatic results in 45-60 days.

Credit restoration is as legal as pleading "not guilty" in a court of law. With that said, though, one must understand that Credit Restoration Consultants is not a law firm and that none of its employees is an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Florida. As such, Credit Restoration Associates cannot provide legal advice nor represent any individual before any court or in any legal proceeding. In the event that legal representation is required, Credit Restoration Associates may provide an appropriate referral for consultation.

Credit Restoration Associates Hour

Have bad credit? Need credit repair? Care to repair your own credit or even hire a credit service organization? Before you do so, you should tune into the Credit Knowledge Hour with credit repair expert Link Robertson. Link can be heard weekday's on the 9's - both 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. eastern time - on AM 1140 WRVA in Richmond Virginia. For those listening online, streaming audio can be accessed at http://www.WRVARadio.com by clicking on the listen live link.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Credit Cards

Because of my bad credit, I recently contacted a credit repair company. They claim that, for a fee, they can clean up my entire credit record. Is that true and, if so, how can they do it?

In today's society, where credit cards have become as commonplace as cash, credit purchases have become more and more popular. This means that a greater number of consumers are being plagued with credit problems and bad credit histories. With this surge of bad credit comes the credit repair companies, promising to undo the damage the borrowers have done.

These credit services businesses often make promises to the consumer that they can clean up or repair the consumer's bad credit record for a fee. What these companies do not tell the consumer is that only outdated or incorrect items may be deleted from his/her credit history. The fact is, consumers can do that themselves. They will also promise to obtain credit cards or other extensions of credit for those with blemished credit histories, or with no credit history at all.

Another problem associated with some credit repair companies is the fact that they are transient, operating out of temporary offices or through post office boxes. Many charge the consumer in advance for their services. When the consumer realizes that little or nothing has been done to fix the consumer's credit, the company has often closed or left town, leaving no trace.

The Virginia Credit Services Businesses Act requires credit service companies to register and post a bond with the State Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA). This allows DCA to identify those credit repair businesses operating within the State, and to verify if the businesses are, in fact, disclosing the required information to consumers.

In addition to companies promising consumers they will improve or obtain an extension of credit, the Act also covers companies charging money simply for referring a consumer to another institution for credit. It is illegal for credit repair businesses to charge for this referral if the credit that would be extended is under the same terms as those available to the general public. Exempt from this law are financial institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC), licensed real estate brokers, lawyers, consumer reporting agencies, certain nonprofit organizations and broker-dealers registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Companies also are prohibited by law from making any misleading or untrue statements to creditors or consumer reporting agencies regarding a customer's credit worthiness. The business must provide each potential customer with a written information statement outlining the consumer's rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and giving a complete and detailed description of the services to be performed by the credit services business and the amount due.

Credit Services Businesses contracts must contain a three-day cancellation clause. Under the Act, the credit repair company cannot charge or receive any money until their services have been performed in full.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act

The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives consumers the right to obtain whatever information is in their credit file. If a consumer has been denied credit, the creditor is obligated to disclose the name and address of the credit bureau from which they received the information. The bureau will give the consumer a report on his/her file free of charge if the inquiry is made within thirty days of the credit denial. Consumers can contact the credit bureau if any of the file's contents appear to be inaccurate or incomplete. The credit bureau is required by law to reinvestigate any information on a consumer's credit record that he/she disputes. If the information is proven incorrect, it must be deleted from the file. If the facts are true, however, nothing can be done to have them removed from the record. Most negative information, such as late payment on bills, can be kept on file for seven years. A bankruptcy will remain on record for ten years. Time is often the only way to cure a bad credit history.